Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-08-27

The widow Flapjack is one of the most
;haritable women in Austin, even if she does
keep boarding house Her heart is better
than her table. No hungry tramp ever left
the Flapjack : cuse on Austin avenue with
vacant stomach
The late Mr.. Flapjack was a journalist by
profession, and during his life, before she
kept clearinghouse she learned in the
severe school of personal experience what
dreadful thing hunger is; hence she has sym
pathy for all those who want something to
bite.
A wretched-looking old man rang the
door-bell, and told the old, old story about
not having tasted food for forty-eight hours,
&c.
Take seat in the hall, and I'll bring
you something nice" said Mrs, FlaEjack
going into the kitchen and returning with
large plate of h ash, which she gave the old
man, saying: Here, my good fellow, here
is some nice hash for you"
The tramp took the plate, and the widow
Flapjack withdrew so that the poor man
could eat as heartily as he pleased
Now, as it happened the tramp was stalled
on hash, so to speak. Twice that morning
had he encompassed hash, so he turned up
his noise at this third installment of the
stuff. Still he did not say anything while
Mrs. Flapjack was present He merely re-
marked to himself: II don't want to hurt
| am not going to founder myself on hash
to suit anybody. am not a regular boarder
here"
He looked around and seeing an upturned
umbrella on the hat-rack, he carefully poured
the contents of the plate into the "inards'' of
the umbrella.
In few minutes Mrs. Flapack returned,
and the tramp gracefully handed her the va
cant plate, and thanking her for her bounty
took his departure
How hungry that poor fellow must have
been p remarked the widow.
This occurred on Wednesday, and as the
weather was nethere was no occasion to use
the umbrella The hash did not keep as well
as if it had been placed ON ice, but nobody
knew that it was the hash that caused the
boarders to leave their windows open at
nights. The city authorities were blamed
for not cleaning up the streets, and cholera
was confidently predicted.
On Sunday the widow Flapjack, decked
out in her best clothes with jaunty hat on
her head, stood in the front door of the
Flapjack house with Gus de Smith one of
the boarders He was dressed in white linen,
wearing pearl-colored plug on his head.
He had promised to accompany her to the
local tabernacle.
st looks like rain remarked Gus de
Smith, taking the umbrella from the rack.
UTedC heavens !! WndJ peculiar SIllell
there is in the hall p remarked the widow,
II think had better send to the Office of
The gas company and have them send man
here to examine the gas fixtures. There is a
leak here somewhere"
On their way to the church, Gus re-
marked several times that unless the city
authorities cleaned up the town cholera
would be sure to break out.
Gus de Smith and everybody else in the
vicinity of the Flapjack pew noticed the
peculiar smell of escaped gas. After the
services were over, on reaching the vestibule
of the church, which was crowded, Gus saw
that it was raining outside. He held the
umbrella over his head, gave it shake, and
partially raised it.
In a moment there was rush for the open
air. A shower of decomposed hash was
spread over everybody in the immediate
vicinity. The widow Flapjack took some of
it home on the back of her neck and Gus
had as much of it as he needed in one
of his pockets, and on his hat. Gus de
Smith, imagining that it was put-up job by
one of the boarders who was jealous of the at
tentions shown him by the landlady, was
about to make it personal matter, but Mrs
Flapjack, remembering the celebrity with
which the tramp cleared his plate of hash,
explained how the hash came in the UNI
brella and the matter was adjusted without
detriment to the honor of either party
Teas Siftings.